Plastic-filled masonry wall



July 27, 1954 A. L. ROBERTSON 8 2,684,588

PLASTIC-FILLED MASONRY WALL Filed Nov. 22, 1950 '2 Sheefs-Sheet 1 FIG.I.

" ALAN 1.. ROBERTSON A TTOR NE Y.

y 1954 A. L. ROBERTSON 8 8 PLASTIC-FILLED MASONRY WALL.

Filed Nov. 22, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ALAN 1.. ROBERTSON ATTORNE Y.

Patented July 27, 1954 UNITED STATES PAENT GFFICE PLASTIC-FILLED MASONRYWALL Alan L. Robertson, New Britain, Conn. Application November 22,1950, Serial No. 197,078

1 Claim.

This invention relates to brick constructions and more particularly tomultiple-brick building units and a method of producing the same forreadily constructing strong and durable foundations and walls at aminimum of expense and labor.

It is well known that the ordinary method of building brickconstructions, wherein bricks are individually cemented in place, is alaborious and expensive process.

It is, accordingly, one object of this invention to provide aprefabricated reinforced multiplebrick building unit comprising aplurality of bricks firmly held together in proper spaced re lationshipto facilitate the erection of brick structures.

Another object of this invention is to provide a method for joining twoor more bricks together in proper spaced relationship to form apractical reinforced multiple-brick building unit.

Another object of this invention is to provide a reinforcedmultiple-brick building unit-consisting of bricks held together inproper spaced relationship whereby a strong solid wall may beconstructed by first piling said units in proper vertical alignment andthereafterpouring cement into the vertical spaces between the bricks.

A further object of this invention is to provide a reinforcedmultiple-brick unit of the character described having self-aligningvertical reinforcing means mounted on the connection between the bricks.

A further object of this invention is to provide a reinforcedmultiple-brick building unit having spacer protrusions to control thedistances between adjacent bricks.

A further object is to provide a device of the above nature which willbe simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to installand manipulate, compact and very efficient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view, there has been illustrated on theaccompanying drawings two forms in which the invention may convenientlybe embodied in practice.

In the drawings, 1

Fig. 1 represents a bottom view of one of the reinforced two-brickbuilding units.

Fig. 2 is an end viewof the', same. H

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the tubular reinforcing spacers.

Fig. 4 is a partial construction of a doublethickness brick wall made oftwo-brick building units. M y,

Fig. 5 is a partial construction of a reinforced triple-thickness solidwall made of three-brick building units furnished with vertical,channelshaped reinforcement members.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the vertical channel-shapedreinforcement members shown by itself.

Fig. 7 is a. top viewof a modified reinforced two-brick building unitcontaining side and bottom spacer protrusion pins.

Fig. 8 is an end view of the'same.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a single brick having horizontal andvertical spacer pins.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the spacer pins shownby itself.

Fig. 11 is an end view of a partial construction of a reinforceddouble-thickness solid wall made of the building units shown in Fig. 7and furnished with vertical, channel-shaped reinforcement membersbetween the rows of bricks.

Fig. 12 is a top view of the same with portions broken away.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals denotecorresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral IDindicates a two-brick building unit embodying the invention andcomprising bricks H and I? held together in spaced relationship by thetubular cylindrical spacer pins l3 pressed into openings [4 in the sidesof the bricks.

In accordance with the present invention the openings in the bricks maybe drilled before they are fired or formed during molding of the bricks.It has been found that unfired or green bricks which have been moldedand then air or steam dried are sufiiciently firm to withstand thedrilling operation. Moreover, in some cases the brick clay used may beof such consistency as not to require drying after molding, but may bedrilled immediately after the molding operation. Alternatively, thebricks may be drilled after they are fired or finished. However, this isusually difficult because of their hardness and brittleness.

Each of the reinforcing spacers I3, preferably formed of sheet metal cutto size and bent into cylindrical shape, has a longitudinal slot l5which serves to add resiliency so that the spacer may readily beforce-pressed into and will retain its frictional grip within the brickopenings Hi. The spacer pins [3 are preferably also slightly rounded attheir ends as at is to facilitate their being forced into the openingsl4.

Referring to Fig. 4 it will be seen how a double wall with a centralcavity may be constructed by use of a plurality of the two-brickbuilding units. Not only will such a wall be much easier to build,

but since the length A (see Fig. 2) between the outer sides of thebricks may be predetermined by the use of a stop on the press whichpushes the bricks together on the spacer pins, the outer sides of thefinished wall will necessarily be parallel, thereby eliminating much ofthe usually required labor involved in furring before constructinginterior walls, and in some cases, furring may be eliminated entirely.

In Fig. 5 there is illustrated a modification of the invention whereby asolid multiple-thickness brick wall or foundation may very rapidly beconstructed from a plurality of multiple-brick units without thenecessity of cementing each brick in place as is ordinarily done. Thebrick units are merely set in place one above the other in the desiredposition and alignment and concrete cement, mortar, or grout isthereafter poured into the vertical openings between the bricks. In thism thod of construction, the bricks are formed, before burning, with sideopenings irla communicating with the usual recess or frog its in thebottom of the brick so that the wet cement will flow horizontallybetween the bricks, thereby insuring a firm bond. (In Fig. 5 the bricksare illustrated as being placed so that the recesses its: face upwardly,rather than downwardly as is ordinarily done, in order to more clearlyshow the path of ilcw of the cement between individual bricks, as hereinbelow explained.)

in order to reinforce the solid brick wall, each of the spacer pins i3has assembled the eon a loosely mounted elongated reinforcing member El.6 shows such a reinforcing member by itself, which preferably consistsof a length of wrought iron formed in channel shape and horizontally andcentrally punched or drilled to provide aligned opening ill for thepassage of pins i3 therethrough. Reinforcing member ll is preferably alittle less in length than the hei ht of two bricks so that it will notinterfere with the second brick above or below. It has been found thateven if some of the reinforcing members i? are temporarily balanced in ahorizontal position on their spacer pins 53, the weight of the cementrushing into the cavity between the bricks will turn them to the propervertical position for reinforcement. lhus, thou h the openings is in thereinforcing members i; will ordinarily be drilled at a position slightlyoil the longitudinal center so that they will automatically swing tovertical alignment, no special drilling or punching precautions need betaken.

Fig. 5 further shows cement which may preferably be concrete, mortar orgrout, poured into the cavities between the bricks to the height of thefirst course of bricks, to illustrate how the wet cement spreadshorizontally through the openings iii to fill the recesses it betweenthe bricks.

Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate an important modification of the two-brickbuilding unit shown in Figs. 1 and 2, wherein bottom and end spacer pinsis, similarly fitted in pre-formed brick openings are employed toautomatically space bricks both horizontally and vertically. The spacerpins is are similar to spacer pins it, but shorter, and they arepreferably beveled or rounded at their outer ends as at so that they mayeasily be pressed through wet cement and against the adjacent bricksurface during the construction of a wall, without the likelihood oftheir being obstructed by sand particles or gravel. The side orhorizontal pins 49 are sent in the center of one end of 4 each brick, asshown, and the bottom pins l9 are staggered to provide verticalstability.

Figs. 11 and 12 show a partial solid double-wall construction employingthe brick units shown in Figs. '7 and 3 and including the verticalreinforcing members ii. The spacer pins 49 provide sufficient spacebetween the bricks, both horizontally and vertically, for the flow ofwet mortar or cement between bricks to insure a firm bond without thenecessity of cementing each brick unit in place individually.

Referring to Fig. 8, it will be evident how, by controlling the depth towhich the vertical pins to are forced, the overall height B of the brickunits may be uniformly predetermined, thereby enabling even an unskilledlaborer to build a level wall. Likewise, the overall length C (Fig. '7)may be predetermined to insure regular horizontal spacing without thenecessity of special care during construction.

Moreover, by thus controlling to within close limits the overalldimensions of brick units, the architect or contractor will be able toorder with accuracy the correct quantity of bricks for a given sizebrick construction.

Fig. 9 shows a single brick provided with horizontal and vertical spacerpins is suitable for rapidly constructing regular and level brick wallsof single thickness.

It is to be understood that not only do the spacer pins is used in thebricks as herein disclosed serve to automatically space bricks to r ducethe labor required to construct a workman like wall, but said pins alsoserve effectively as vertical and horizontal reinforcing between thebricks of the wall when completed.

Though the invention has been described and illustrated to show amultiple brick unit for double and triple brick wall construction, it isto be understood that the invention also contemplates bricks joinedend-to-end by one or more spacers l3 to provide a construction unitadaptable for use in laying a brick wall of single brick thickness.Moreover, bricks could be joined or provided with protruding pins in themanner taught by the invention to suit a variety of purposes, one ofwhich might be an angularl joined brick unit for use in corners.

Advantages One advantage of the building brick units constructed inaccordance with the invention resides in the speed with which a brickfoundation or wall. may be built by their use.

Another advantage is that they greatly reduce the labor cost of brickconstructions while at the same time increasing their value.

Another advantage is that the outside surface. of multiple thicknessbrick walls constructed in accordance with the invention willautomatically be parallel, thereby minimizing the necessity of furringthe inside surface before building an interior wall.

Another advantage resides in the provision between the bricks ofvertical reinforcing members which require no attention on the part ofthe mason in erecting the brick wall.

While there have been disclosed in this specification two forms in whichthe invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that these formsare shown for the purpose of illustration only and that the invention isnot to be limited to the specific disclosure but may be embodied invarious other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, theinvention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming Withinthe scope of the following claim.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, andfor which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

In a solid masonry wall, a plurality of building units, each comprisinga pair of spaced-apart bricks, the adjacent flat surfaces of said brickshaving a plurality of aligned open recesses, a plurality of elongatedslotted tubular connecting pins having their ends frictionally fittedinto the recesses of both adjacent bricks, and a layer of cement locatedbetween said spaced-apart bricks in which said slotted pins arepermanently embedded, and channel shaped reinforcing members pivotallymounted on each of said pins and also embedded in said cement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberNumber Name Date Conkling Jan. 8, 1856 Frost May 25, 1880 Peirce July 3,1906 Clayton Jan. '7, 1908 Copeland Jan. 14, 1913 Kertes Apr. 8, 1913Mueller June 12, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain of 1944Great Britain of 1948

